What is the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?
SEO optimises for ranked search results, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) optimises for direct answers in AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is a broader term covering both AI answers and generative summaries such as Google AI Overviews.
Updated June 20, 2026
Overlap and divergence
All three share the same crawl foundation: fast, indexable, well-structured pages. They diverge in what the winning result looks like — a ranked link vs a quoted passage vs a synthesised summary with citations.
How we run all three together
We treat SEO as the floor, AEO as the ceiling, and GEO as the roof. A single content asset targets a keyword, opens with a citable answer, and closes with schema and entity markup so every surface can use it.
Next step
Want to be the answer AI cites?
We build AI-native sites and audit existing ones for AEO and AI citations.